🔗 Share this article The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar pushes a dramatic championship decider. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages included threats against the youngster's life. The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through. This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse." The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points." Main Takeaways from the Situation Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments. The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle. Video replays show Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of team orders. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar pushes a dramatic championship decider. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages included threats against the youngster's life. The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through. This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse." The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points." Main Takeaways from the Situation Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments. The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle. Video replays show Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of team orders. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.